Project Connect gives life assistance, combats poverty in Kalamazoo area

KALAMAZOO, MI – Hundreds
gathered at the Kalamazoo Expo Center on Wednesday to get free life services
through the semi-annual Project Connect, many of whom were among the
roughly 26,000 in the city of Kalamazoo living below the poverty line.

With more than 70 service agencies participating, Project
Connect is one of the largest efforts to fight poverty in the city and Kalamazoo County, which had nearly 50,000 people living in poverty as of 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Project Connect provides a variety of free services, including children’s and parenting services, employment and education help, financial and legal advice, health and medical screenings, housing and food assistance, and personal services such as haircuts.

Leaders of the program say one of the main goals is to
break stereotypes of what constitutes a needy person. With Michigan's overall downtrodden economy and high-paying industrial jobs leaving the area, many who seek services are in career transition or paying for schooling on top of other routine expenses, lead coordinator Pam Burpee said.

Al Harris, a 76-year-old retired minister, came to the event at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center on Wednesday to find a permanent
home after losing his house in a divorce. While home ownership might be out of
reach now, he said he's optimistic he will be able to find a one-bedroom
apartment to fit his budget.

"I'm just beginning to recoup and put my life back together,"
Harris said. "I'm looking for my own place so I can call some of the shots."

While some were trying to get back on track, others were
looking to get on their feet. Quinesha James, 20, was out looking for subsidized
housing for her at her 10-month-old daughter Tiquaysia. The two recently had to
move back in with James' mother after she couldn't afford her old apartment.

"I just had to give it away because the rent was too high,"
she said.

At one table, Fair Food Matters, consulted with people on eating
healthy and buying locally. Program Coordinator Sheena Foster advised people to
use their bridge cards at local farmers' markets; not only is it healthier than
most store bought food, she said, but it also stimulates the local economy.

"In some ways, I think it's a reality check for people who
are a little too sunny," said Project Connect spokesman John Deisinger,
referencing recent news reports of Michigan's economy turning around. "It shows
what a broad cross-section can be affected by poverty."

Editor's note: This article has been changed from its original version to clarify comments from lead coordinator Pam Burpee.